Travel make-up case

ABSTRACT

A travel make-up case comprises a body portion to which are hinged auxiliary storage boxes or containers, the latter being shiftable to use and non-use positions. A hinged cover on the body portion is adapted to overlie and coincide with the tops of the body portion and auxiliary boxes when the case is closed. The body portion contains electrical components and controls and the hinged cover contains an illuminated mirror.

United States Patent [191 Rickenbaker [4 1 Jan. 7, 1975 TRAVEL MAKE-UP CASE [76] inventor: Sidney E. Rickenbaker, PO. Box

1921, Myrtle Beach, SC. 29577 [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1973 [21} Appl. No.: 397,911

[52] US. Cl. 132/79 151 int. Cl A45d'40/00 Field of Search 132/79, 83; 220/94 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 617,406 l/l899 Pinchin 220/94 R 1,106,315 8/1914 Payne 132/79 G 1,435,160 11/1922 Hoegemann 132/79 R 1,651,898 12/1927 Maillard...., 132/79 G Factor 190/33 Speck 132/79 G Primary Examiner-G. E. McNeill Attorney, Agent, or Firm-B. P. Fishburne, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A travel make-up case comprises a body portion to which are hinged auxiliary storage boxes or containers, the latter being shit'tuble to use and non-use positions. A hinged cover on the body portion is adapted to overlie and coincide with the tops of the body portion and auxiliary boxes when the case is closed. The

- body portion contains electrical components and controls and the hinged cover contains an illuminated mirror.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN H915 53358592 SHEET '2 OF 3 FIG. 3

PATENTED JAN 7 I975 SHEET 3 OF 3 TRAVEL MAKE-UP CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Foldable dressing cases includng cases having illuminated mirrors are known in the prior art. Examples of the prior art are contained in US. Pat. No. 1,600,830; 2,145,462; and 3,578,000. In general, such prior art devices have suffered from undue complexity and cost and inconvenience of manipulation from undue complexity and cost and inconvenienceof manipulation and transporting.

The prime objective of this invention is to provide a make-up or vanity case for travel or home use which is versatile, convenient to use, compact and not unduly costly or heavy. In providing such a case, the invention constitutes a significant improvement over the known prior art and is therefore thought to be entirely practical and feasible for manufacturing.

More particularly, the travel make-up case of the invention consists of a shallow rectangular body portion containing electrical components and controls as well as basic storage compartments. A pair of auxiliary storage boxes are hinged to the forward corners of the body portion and are readily swingable between side outwardly extended positions and side-by-side foldedpositions in front of the body portion. When in the latter positions, the auxiliary boxes and the body portion form a contiguous rectangular structure. Hinged to the rear of the body portion is'a cover for the case having a sturdy handle and being adapted for vertical swinging between upstanding use and downwardly closed positions. The cover contains a mirror and electrical illuminating means. When the cover is closed, it overlies and coincides with the tops of the body portion and two auxiliary boxes when the latter are disposed in their inward opposing positions forwardly of the body portion. Coacting latch elements are provided on the cover and auxiliary boxes. When closed and latched, the case is in the form of a clean rectangular parallelepiped, with the carrying handle spanning one edge portion thereof.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel make-up case embodying the invention and shown in a fully closed transporting position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case in a first open or use position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the case closed and showing the opposite side from that illustrated in FIG. 1

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like nu merals designate like parts, the numeral designates a rectangular body portion which is preferably about 16 inches wide and 8 inches from back-to-front and about 3 inches deep, although these dimensions are not critical and may be varied somewhat. However, they represent the general preferred size of the body portion 10 for greatest convenience to the user. The body portion 10 is provided at one side with a relatively narrow front-to-back rectangular compartment 11 for miscellaneous small articles and to'receive the sliding slotted brace 12 of a hinged cover 13 for the make-up case, to be described in detail.

The body portion 10 further includes a forward transversely elongated storage compartment 14 having a vertically swingable hinged cover 15 flush with the top of the body portion 10 when closed. The compartment 14 is adapted to contain a large size can of hair spray or the like. I

Rearwardly of storage compartment 14 is a closed compartment 16 of like size and shape containing an electrical transformer 17, FIG. 7, and having a pair'of electrical outlets 18'on the top panel 19 thereof so that the user of the case may conveniently operate a hair dryer or similar electrical appliances. Also disposed on the cover panel 19 is an on and off switch 20 for illuminating means and a safety switch 21 to assure cutting off of electrical power when the cover 13 is closed. The safety switch-21 is engaged by an element 22'of the hinged cover 13 when the latter is closed. A fuse 23 for the electrical circuit shown in FIG. 7 is also mounted on the cover panel 19 of compartment 16. g

. l-Iinged to the rear upper transverse edge of body portion 10 by a continuous piano hinge 24 is the previously-mentioned cover 1 for the case, which is preferably about 16 inches square and of a depth approximately the depth of the body portion 10, or slightly deeper, if preferred. The hinged cover 13 has a rigid handle 25 of cylindrical form spanning the same transversely adjacent to its interior side, FIG. 2, so'that the handle will be arranged at the center of the case depthwise, FIG. 1, when the case is closed for carrying. The handle has sturdy side braces 26 which are attached to the sides of. the cover 13 at plural points 27 along its front-to-back dimension. The previously-named sliding brace 12 is pivoted at 28 to one side of the cover 13 and has a sliding connection with an element of the body portion 10 on one side wall of the storage compartment 11.

Within the central area of the cover 13 is mounted a relatively large rectangular mirror 29 which extends for the full height of the cover 13 when the latter is in the upstanding use position, and also extends for a major portion of the width of the cover. On opposite sides of the mirror 29 are a pair of parallel illuminating light tubes 30 which also extend for the full height of the cover 13. These light tubes are held within reflectors 31 which direct the light inwardly, and preferably light diffuser plates 32 cover the reflectors and light tubes. A flexible cable 33 delivering current to the two fluorescent tubes 30 bridges the hinge joint between the cover 13 and body portion 10 and enters the compartment 16 through an opening in panel 19.

Referring to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the beforementioned fuse 23 is located in the power cable 34, FIG. 6, ahead of the convenience outlets 18 and ahead of the on and off and safety switches 20 and 21. The primary coil of transformer 17 is connected across the cable 34 and the secondary coil of the transformer is connected across the illuminating tubes 30, relfectors 31 being rounded as shown. The cable 34 may be plugged into any convenient 115 volt AC outlet.

For further convenience and compactness, the power cable 34 may be coiled up and stored during transporting of the case in a storage compartment 35 of the main cover 13. This storage compartment has a hinged closure panel 36, FIG. 7, which is flush with the outer wall of the cover-13 when closed.

The make-up case further comprises a pair of equally sized square auxiliary article storage boxes 37 having the same depths as the body portion and forming extensions thereof in two positions as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. These boxes 37 have hinged lids 38 which are flush with the tops of boxes 37 and body portion 10 when closed. The boxes 37 are hinged at corresponding corners to the forward vertical corners of body portion 10 by hinges 39 which allow the two boxes to swing in a common horizontal plane to and from the side extended positions of FIG. 4' and the abutting side-by-side positions of FIG. 2 where the boxes 37 are immediately forwardly of'the body portion 10 and form therewith a continuous square body of the same dimensions as the cover 13. When in the side extended positions of FIG. 4, the boxes 37 form with the body portion 10 a continuous transversely elongated rectangle of uniform depth.

When in the position of FIG. 2, the boxes 37 and body portion 10 may receive upon them the hinged cover 13 by swinging the latter downwardly about the hinge 24 to the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In such closed position, the components of the case are securely locked by luggage-type latches 40 having mating components 41 and 42 on the cover 13 and two boxes 37, respectively. The side braces 26 of the handle 25 and an additional crossbar or plate 43 on the cover 1 at right angles to these braces form a projecting lip on the cover which overlaps the upper edges of body portion 10 and boxes 37 when the cover 13 is closed for additional security and to make a clean appearance. When closed, FIGS. 1 and 3, the make-up case presents a clean appearance, free of projections except for the sturdy carrying handle 25. It is then in the form essentially of a rectangular parallelepiped.

When opened for use, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the case affords maximum versatility and convenience for the user, compactness and ease of operation.

In some cases, a different form of handle, such as a flexible, folding or retractable handle may be employed in lieu of the rigid handle 25.

As an added optional safety feature, a thermal cut-off switch may be located in the transformer compartment 16 in series with the primary winding of transformer 17. Should the temperature in the transformer compartment ever rise above safe limits, the thermal cut-off switch would automatically cut off power to the transformer. The safety switch 21 cuts off power to the transformer whenever the lid or cover 13 is closed.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the in vention or scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A travel make-up case or the like comprising a rectangular body portion having a storage compartment for electrical components and having additional utility compartment means, said body portion adapted to rest horizontally during use when the case is open, a pair of equal size auxiliary box compartments hinged to the two forward corners of the rectangular body portion and being of equal depth with the body portion and adapted to lie in a common horizontal plane with the body portion when the case is open for use, the axes of the hinges connecting the auxiliary box compartments with the body portion then being vertical and the auxiliary box compartments being swingable in said horizontal plane to side-by-side substantially abutting positions forwardly of the body portion and to alternate use positions at the opposite sides of the body portion substantially abutting said opposite sides, the two auxiliary box compartments when in the first-named use position extending forwardly of said body portion for a distance substantially equal to the front-to-back depth of the body portion and also extending across the full frontal width of the body portion, the auxiliary box compartments when in the second-named use position extending outwardly of the opposite sides of the body portion equidistantly and also extending for the entire front-toback depth of the body portion and approximately doubling the lateral width of the body portion in said second use position, and a unitary rectangular cover for the case hinged to the rear upper corner of the body portion by a horizontal axis hinge andbeing vertically swingable from an upright use position to a down horizontal case closing position, saidcover containing illuminated mirror means electrically coupled with said electrical components in said compartment means of the body portion, said rectangular cover adapted to overlie and cover the body portion and said auxiliary box compartments when thelatter are positioned in the first use position immediately forwardly of the body.

portion, said cooperating latch means for the case on the cover and on the two auxiliary box compartments whereby the case is rigidly held closed and the auxiliary box compartments are rigidly held in said first use position ahead of said body portion, the closed case being box-like and rectangular.

2. The structure of claim 1, and a carrying handle means for the case on said cover and disposed near the meeting plane of the cover with the body portion and said auxiliary box compartments when the case is closed.

3. The structure of claim 1, and said cover having a storage chamber for cable on its exterior side, and a hinged closure panel for said chamber lying flush with said exterior side when in a closed position.

4. The structure of claim 1, and hinged closure panels for the tops of said auxiliary box compartments lying flush with said tops and flush with the top of the body portion when closed.

cal and balanced. 

1. A travel make-up case or the like comprising a rectangular body portion having a storage compartment for electrical components and having additional utility compartment means, said body portion adapted to rest horizontally during use when the case is open, a pair of equal size auxiliary box compartments hinged to the two forward corners of the rectangular body portion and being of equal depth with the body portion and adapted to lie in a common horizontal plane with the body portion when the case is open for use, the axes of the hinges connecting the auxiliary box compartments with the body portion then being vertical and the auxiliary box compartments being swingable in said horizontal plane to side-by-side substantially abutting positions forwardly of the body portion and to alternate use positions at the opposite sides of the body portion substantially abutting said opposite sides, the two auxiliary box compartments when in the first-named use position extending forwardly of said body portion for a distance substantially equal to the front-to-back depth of the body portion and also extending across the full frontal width of the body portion, the auxiliary box compartments when in the second-named use position extending outwardly of the opposite sides of the body portion equidistantly and also extending for the entire front-to-back depth of the body portion and approximately doubling the lateral width of the body portion in said second use position, and a unitary rectangular cover for the case hinged to the rear upper corner of the body portion by a horizontal axis hinge and being vertically swingable from an upright use position to a down horizontal case closing position, said cover containing illuminated mirror means electrically coupled with said electrical components in said compartment means of the body portion, said rectangular cover adapted to overlie and cover the body portion and said auxiliary box compartments when the latter are positioned in the first use position immediately forwardly of the body portion, said cooperating latch means for the case on the cover and on the two auxiliary box compartments whereby the case is rigidly held closed and the auxiliary box compartments are rigidly held in said first use position ahead of said body portion, the closed case being boxlike and rectangular.
 2. The structure of claim 1, and a carrying handle means for the case on said cover and disposed near the meeting plane of the cover with the body portion and said auxiliary box compartments when the case is closed.
 3. The structure of claim 1, and said cover having a storage chamber for cable on its exterior side, and a hinged closure panel for said chamber lying flush with said exterior side when in a closed position.
 4. The structure of claim 1, and hinged closure panels for the tops of said auxiliary box compartments lying flush with said tops and flush with the top of the body portion when closed.
 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the depth of said rectangular cover is approximately equal to the depths of the body portion and said auxiliary box compartments, whereby the closed case is rendered symmetrical and balanced. 